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The One Day You Were My Husband
Not yet published
Expected 19 May 26From the New York Times–bestselling author of Ghosted and The Love of My Life comes another love story wrapped in a an up-all-night page-turner with a dark secret at its core
2010. Carrie and Johan, madly in love, marry on the beach in Thailand, five months into their whirlwind romance. Carrie, a British surgical intern, knows she’s being uncharacteristically impulsive but is too happy to care. But as the wedding festivities stretch into the night, armed men swarm the beach and arrest Johan for crimes unknown. In police custody, Johan refuses to see or speak to Carrie. She never sees him again.
2022. Carrie is settled in the English countryside with her husband, Robin, and their six-year-old twins. After a difficult entry into motherhood, Carrie has given up her career as a physician and has convinced herself that life as a mother and wife is enough. Until she stumbles across an online post that makes her realize Johan is out of prison—has been out for years. As the memories of their intense, passionate relationship return to her, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about what happened on that beach all those years ago—even if that means putting her marriage and family in jeopardy.
And just when Carrie thinks she knows what she must do, a shocking twist confirms the truth found in every Rosie Walsh Everyone has something to hide. The One Day You Were My Husband asks readers what—and whom—they would give up to return to a first love, and to the people they once were.
2010. Carrie and Johan, madly in love, marry on the beach in Thailand, five months into their whirlwind romance. Carrie, a British surgical intern, knows she’s being uncharacteristically impulsive but is too happy to care. But as the wedding festivities stretch into the night, armed men swarm the beach and arrest Johan for crimes unknown. In police custody, Johan refuses to see or speak to Carrie. She never sees him again.
2022. Carrie is settled in the English countryside with her husband, Robin, and their six-year-old twins. After a difficult entry into motherhood, Carrie has given up her career as a physician and has convinced herself that life as a mother and wife is enough. Until she stumbles across an online post that makes her realize Johan is out of prison—has been out for years. As the memories of their intense, passionate relationship return to her, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about what happened on that beach all those years ago—even if that means putting her marriage and family in jeopardy.
And just when Carrie thinks she knows what she must do, a shocking twist confirms the truth found in every Rosie Walsh Everyone has something to hide. The One Day You Were My Husband asks readers what—and whom—they would give up to return to a first love, and to the people they once were.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication May 19, 2026
19 people are currently reading
21997 people want to read
About the author
Rosie Walsh
24 books1,566 followersRosie Walsh has lived and travelled all over the world, working as a documentary producer and writer.
The Man Who Didn’t Call (UK) / Ghosted (US) is her first book under her own name, and was published around the world in 2018, going on to become an instant bestseller in several territories. It was a New York Times top five bestseller and topped the charts in Germany for several weeks.
Rosie lives in Bristol with her partner and son.
Prior to writing under her own name she wrote four romantic comedies under the pseudonym Lucy Robinson.
The Man Who Didn’t Call (UK) / Ghosted (US) is her first book under her own name, and was published around the world in 2018, going on to become an instant bestseller in several territories. It was a New York Times top five bestseller and topped the charts in Germany for several weeks.
Rosie lives in Bristol with her partner and son.
Prior to writing under her own name she wrote four romantic comedies under the pseudonym Lucy Robinson.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
November 24, 2025
Oh, this is good! What starts as a story tinged with a little love triangle, guilt, yearning, and ghosts-of-the-past intrigue quickly transforms into something far more layered. By the time I reached the final quarter — when the pacing skyrockets and a major twist practically slapped me across the face — I realized this wasn’t merely a heartbroken love story at all. It’s an intelligent, mind-bending thriller fused with a gripping character study, packed with jaw-dropping shocks and action-charged sequences. I wholeheartedly loved every moment.
The book opens with a stunning scene: a seaside wedding in Thailand. Carrie, in her mid-twenties, is about to marry Johan… until armed men storm the beach mid-ceremony and drag him away. From there, we leap forward twenty years to Carrie’s new life — now happily married to Robin, a philanthropy consultant, raising twins, and living in the quiet English countryside. After a complicated birth and caring for premature newborns, she stepped away from the demanding world of surgery. But now, with Robin suddenly out of work, Carrie decides to return to her medical career, accepting a spot with her former mentor in Stockholm.
What she doesn’t expect is the emotional ambush waiting for her: Johan — her first great love — is out of prison, freed earlier than expected after serving time for drug smuggling. From flashbacks, we learn Carrie once reached out to her estranged activist mother for help on the day he was arrested, but the verdict had already been sealed. So how did Johan walk free early? And why didn’t he ever contact her? The shock deepens when Carrie discovers he has built an entirely new life: a wife, a child, a world that doesn’t include her.
The guilt hits her hard. She wants closure so she can truly move forward — but as past and present collide, she realizes just how little she actually knows. The more secrets she uncovers, the more dangerous everything becomes… and Carrie may be in far deeper than she ever imagined.
I loved this book even more than the author’s previous two novels, which I also enjoyed. It carries a touch of The Last Thing He Told Me energy — quieter in the beginning, but absolutely relentless in the final act. The mystery is tightly executed, the character development is deeply satisfying, and the twist is worth every page. I’m obsessed. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for sharing this brilliant thriller’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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The book opens with a stunning scene: a seaside wedding in Thailand. Carrie, in her mid-twenties, is about to marry Johan… until armed men storm the beach mid-ceremony and drag him away. From there, we leap forward twenty years to Carrie’s new life — now happily married to Robin, a philanthropy consultant, raising twins, and living in the quiet English countryside. After a complicated birth and caring for premature newborns, she stepped away from the demanding world of surgery. But now, with Robin suddenly out of work, Carrie decides to return to her medical career, accepting a spot with her former mentor in Stockholm.
What she doesn’t expect is the emotional ambush waiting for her: Johan — her first great love — is out of prison, freed earlier than expected after serving time for drug smuggling. From flashbacks, we learn Carrie once reached out to her estranged activist mother for help on the day he was arrested, but the verdict had already been sealed. So how did Johan walk free early? And why didn’t he ever contact her? The shock deepens when Carrie discovers he has built an entirely new life: a wife, a child, a world that doesn’t include her.
The guilt hits her hard. She wants closure so she can truly move forward — but as past and present collide, she realizes just how little she actually knows. The more secrets she uncovers, the more dangerous everything becomes… and Carrie may be in far deeper than she ever imagined.
I loved this book even more than the author’s previous two novels, which I also enjoyed. It carries a touch of The Last Thing He Told Me energy — quieter in the beginning, but absolutely relentless in the final act. The mystery is tightly executed, the character development is deeply satisfying, and the twist is worth every page. I’m obsessed. Highly recommend.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for sharing this brilliant thriller’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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December 10, 2025
I received a free copy of, The One Day You Were My Husband, by Rosie Walsh, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. In 2010 Carrie and Johan were married, but then Johan was arrested. In 2022, Carrie is married to Robin ad has twins. This was a wild roller coaster rider, who do you trust and believe.
Want to read
November 20, 2025A love story with a dark secret that began in the heart of Thailand.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Viking Penguin Publisher and the author, Rosie Walsh for this early eARC!
Publication date: May 19, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley, Viking Penguin Publisher and the author, Rosie Walsh for this early eARC!
Publication date: May 19, 2026
December 19, 2025
The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh is a deeply affectionate and mysterious love story about love lost and life rebuilt, following Carrie as she confronts the ghost of a husband she thought she had left behind forever.
From the moment I read about Carrie and Johan’s impulsive beach wedding in Thailand and the terrifying way it ends, I was pulled into the emotional weight of this book, a feeling that only grew as the story unfolded. Twelve years after that day, Carrie has carved out a loving life with her husband Robin and their young twins in the English countryside, yet one online discovery about Johan’s survival unearths a tide of longing, regret, and unanswered questions that shook me right in the chest. The way Walsh delicately balances the present with flashes of the past made Carrie’s emotional journey feel lived in and richly nuanced, not just a puzzle to be solved. Readers see her wrestle with loyalty, memory, and identity, not as abstract ideas but as forces shaping every choice she makes, and this honest portrayal of a woman caught between two worlds stayed with me long after I put the book down.
What struck me the most was how this story blends romantic intensity with thoughtful introspection: the pages teem with suspense, but at the heart is a very human exploration of how first love can linger, even when life seems settled. The characters felt wonderfully dimensional to me, especially Carrie, whose vulnerability and resilience made her easy to root for.
I also appreciated how Walsh treated the mystery with respect, never cheapening emotional stakes for shock value. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars, because while the pacing took a bit to fully grip me, the emotional payoff and thematic depth made it a resonant and compelling read that I found hard to forget.
From the moment I read about Carrie and Johan’s impulsive beach wedding in Thailand and the terrifying way it ends, I was pulled into the emotional weight of this book, a feeling that only grew as the story unfolded. Twelve years after that day, Carrie has carved out a loving life with her husband Robin and their young twins in the English countryside, yet one online discovery about Johan’s survival unearths a tide of longing, regret, and unanswered questions that shook me right in the chest. The way Walsh delicately balances the present with flashes of the past made Carrie’s emotional journey feel lived in and richly nuanced, not just a puzzle to be solved. Readers see her wrestle with loyalty, memory, and identity, not as abstract ideas but as forces shaping every choice she makes, and this honest portrayal of a woman caught between two worlds stayed with me long after I put the book down.
What struck me the most was how this story blends romantic intensity with thoughtful introspection: the pages teem with suspense, but at the heart is a very human exploration of how first love can linger, even when life seems settled. The characters felt wonderfully dimensional to me, especially Carrie, whose vulnerability and resilience made her easy to root for.
I also appreciated how Walsh treated the mystery with respect, never cheapening emotional stakes for shock value. I would give this book 3 out of 5 stars, because while the pacing took a bit to fully grip me, the emotional payoff and thematic depth made it a resonant and compelling read that I found hard to forget.
December 3, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
I love when a story digs into the “what ifs” of past relationships, and a reconnection with someone from your past can go in so many directions, so I was naturally drawn to this one.
The One Day You Were My Husband is exactly the kind of emotional, slightly twisty relationship drama I like to get lost in—where the lines between like, regret, and what-might-have-been all blur together. The premise hooked me right away: two people connected by this intense, unfinished history suddenly thrown back into each other’s orbit, and all the old feelings come rushing up in ways they’re definitely not prepared for. This story has a good blend of romance, heartbreak, and just enough suspense to keep you turning pages, wondering what actually happened all those years ago and what’s still being kept quiet.
I really enjoyed the emotional layers Rosie Walsh incorporated. It’s not just a second-chance love story; it digs into timing, choices, and how one moment can alter the entire course of your life. The characters feel messy in a real, relatable way, and even the quieter moments have this underlying tension that pulls you through.
But I will say, there were a few things that didn’t resonate the way I wanted. Some parts moved a little slow and I found myself wanting the momentum to pick up sooner. A few of the characters’ decisions felt a bit repetitive, circling the same conflicts without much movement. And while the emotional tension is strong, some reveals didn’t hit with the impact I hoped for. But nonetheless, I enjoyed this engaging mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advance copy in exchange for my feedback.
I love when a story digs into the “what ifs” of past relationships, and a reconnection with someone from your past can go in so many directions, so I was naturally drawn to this one.
The One Day You Were My Husband is exactly the kind of emotional, slightly twisty relationship drama I like to get lost in—where the lines between like, regret, and what-might-have-been all blur together. The premise hooked me right away: two people connected by this intense, unfinished history suddenly thrown back into each other’s orbit, and all the old feelings come rushing up in ways they’re definitely not prepared for. This story has a good blend of romance, heartbreak, and just enough suspense to keep you turning pages, wondering what actually happened all those years ago and what’s still being kept quiet.
I really enjoyed the emotional layers Rosie Walsh incorporated. It’s not just a second-chance love story; it digs into timing, choices, and how one moment can alter the entire course of your life. The characters feel messy in a real, relatable way, and even the quieter moments have this underlying tension that pulls you through.
But I will say, there were a few things that didn’t resonate the way I wanted. Some parts moved a little slow and I found myself wanting the momentum to pick up sooner. A few of the characters’ decisions felt a bit repetitive, circling the same conflicts without much movement. And while the emotional tension is strong, some reveals didn’t hit with the impact I hoped for. But nonetheless, I enjoyed this engaging mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advance copy in exchange for my feedback.
November 8, 2025
I remember reading (and crying) when I read Rosie Walsh’s “The Love of My Life.” The author’s newest, “The One Day You Were My Husband” takes on those overarching themes again: true love and the sudden loss of it, hidden secrets ready to ruin lives, and can you ever leave the past behind?
I’m pretty sure that if you loved Laura Dave’s “The Last Thing He Told Me” then you’ll be equally mesmerized by Walsh’s latest.
In this domestic suspense story, an impromptu beach wedding in Thailand ends as the groom gets thrown into a van by armed men. So what happens to the abandoned bride? Carrie Cole, a British surgical resident, is left adrift as she learns her new Swedish husband, a diving instructor she has only known for a few months, Johan, has been arrested for smuggling/distributing drugs in a very non-tolerant country. She’s had a very complicated relationship with her estranged mother, an international women’s activist, but she finally calls her for help and surprisingly, her mother immediately comes to Thailand. And although her mom has deep influential contacts, Johan pleads guilty and is sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Carrie returns to England and to her surgical training (a job she knows she was always meant to have). Eventually, at a charity gala, she meets, falls in love with, and marries Robin, a financial consultant, with whom she is totally honest with regarding Johan. Carrie and Robin eventually become parents, but the twins’ birth disrupts her life again — the babies are ultra premature and sickly; she quits being a doctor and chooses childcare over a career.
But as the kids get older and better, she wants to retrain again as a surgeon and agrees to shadow a respected former mentor in Stockholm. As her mind returns to Sweden, she’s shocked to accidentally find out that Johan is long out of prison, is now a successful architect and is married with a son. The man who was supposedly so in love with her had never contacted her after his prison nightmare ended. Why?
I know this novel doesn’t initially seem like the domestic thriller it turns into, and it’s more like a long contemplation on lost love, starting over, and ignoring the lure to revisit the past. Carrie has never been the most confident person; she always believes catastrophe is near and then allows someone else to guide her worst case mental scenarios back to normalcy. Her resolve to totally erase Johan from her life begins to weaken once she’s back in Sweden.
I became as totally enraptured as Carrie in learning the truth of the past but there’s one final twist that just flabbergasted me. I had to rethink where I thought the story was going. There’s no straightforward villain and no neat way to wrap everything up. There is a lot of misguided love. Carrie’s life will always be messy since that day on the beach. 4.5 stars
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): MAYBE? Carrie’s eyes were the same color as his childhood cat’s.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO We do get to travel between snowy Sweden and tropical Thailand.
Thank you to Pamela Dorman/Penguin Viking and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!
I’m pretty sure that if you loved Laura Dave’s “The Last Thing He Told Me” then you’ll be equally mesmerized by Walsh’s latest.
In this domestic suspense story, an impromptu beach wedding in Thailand ends as the groom gets thrown into a van by armed men. So what happens to the abandoned bride? Carrie Cole, a British surgical resident, is left adrift as she learns her new Swedish husband, a diving instructor she has only known for a few months, Johan, has been arrested for smuggling/distributing drugs in a very non-tolerant country. She’s had a very complicated relationship with her estranged mother, an international women’s activist, but she finally calls her for help and surprisingly, her mother immediately comes to Thailand. And although her mom has deep influential contacts, Johan pleads guilty and is sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Carrie returns to England and to her surgical training (a job she knows she was always meant to have). Eventually, at a charity gala, she meets, falls in love with, and marries Robin, a financial consultant, with whom she is totally honest with regarding Johan. Carrie and Robin eventually become parents, but the twins’ birth disrupts her life again — the babies are ultra premature and sickly; she quits being a doctor and chooses childcare over a career.
But as the kids get older and better, she wants to retrain again as a surgeon and agrees to shadow a respected former mentor in Stockholm. As her mind returns to Sweden, she’s shocked to accidentally find out that Johan is long out of prison, is now a successful architect and is married with a son. The man who was supposedly so in love with her had never contacted her after his prison nightmare ended. Why?
I know this novel doesn’t initially seem like the domestic thriller it turns into, and it’s more like a long contemplation on lost love, starting over, and ignoring the lure to revisit the past. Carrie has never been the most confident person; she always believes catastrophe is near and then allows someone else to guide her worst case mental scenarios back to normalcy. Her resolve to totally erase Johan from her life begins to weaken once she’s back in Sweden.
I became as totally enraptured as Carrie in learning the truth of the past but there’s one final twist that just flabbergasted me. I had to rethink where I thought the story was going. There’s no straightforward villain and no neat way to wrap everything up. There is a lot of misguided love. Carrie’s life will always be messy since that day on the beach. 4.5 stars
Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): MAYBE? Carrie’s eyes were the same color as his childhood cat’s.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO We do get to travel between snowy Sweden and tropical Thailand.
Thank you to Pamela Dorman/Penguin Viking and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!
December 1, 2025
Carrie, an aspiring surgeon, crosses paths with Johan, and their love affair is one for the ages. Six months into their relationship, they are on a trip to Thailand and they get married. And all hell breaks loose on their wedding night when the local authorities crash the party and arrest Johan. Carrie is left baffled by what is taking place. Over the ensuing days, she becomes frustrated when she isn’t able to find out what is going on. Even after she finally is able to speak to Johan, he just tells her to go back home and just forget about him. Fast forward to a dozen years later, when Carrie is remarried with 6 year old twins and a Google search reveals that Johan has been released from Thailand. Carrie cannot stop herself from thinking about him and wanting answers for what happened all those years ago. This persistence opens up a can of worms where all of a sudden she finds out things she was not prepared for. The mystery was perfectly executed, and I was highly entertained with this story.
Thank you to NetGalley & Pamela Dorman Books for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
Thank you to NetGalley & Pamela Dorman Books for the opportunity to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
December 8, 2025
People really love this book. I was really kind of tepid on this one.
I do think the plot is unusual and I found myself curious at first. Unfortunately, that curiosity began to wane and my frustration with the characters began to grow.
Ultimately, the only characters I felt anything for were the main character's two young children. Everyone else just read as...non-entities.
I didn't hate the book. I had enough curiosity to finish the book, however I found myself rather bored with how everything works out.
I think that this one just wasn't really for me.
* ARC via Publisher
I do think the plot is unusual and I found myself curious at first. Unfortunately, that curiosity began to wane and my frustration with the characters began to grow.
Ultimately, the only characters I felt anything for were the main character's two young children. Everyone else just read as...non-entities.
I didn't hate the book. I had enough curiosity to finish the book, however I found myself rather bored with how everything works out.
I think that this one just wasn't really for me.
* ARC via Publisher
November 26, 2025
Overall, I'd give this book 4 stars, the surprises kept on coming. I enjoyed that this book was a good mix between romance and mystery with a sprinkle of family drama. I wasn't sure what direction the story was going to go given Carrie's past relationship with Johan and her current marriage to Robin, but I was pleasantly surprised by some of happenings along the way. I found Carrie to be an interesting character, super accomplished, smart, and career driven woman, who falls head over heels in love with Johan and lost herself and then finds herself along the way. I enjoyed Carrie's family dynamic a whole lot, her relationship with Maya, her mother, and her father were all so unique and special in their own way. The downside to this book, at least for me, was the logistics of everything, the different countries and the laws and customs were hard to keep up with at times.
*First love/love triangle?
*Family
*Mystery
*Carrie's POV - 1st person
*Dual timeline
Format: ebook
Thank you NetGalley, Rosie Walsh, and Viking Penguin for the ARC.
*First love/love triangle?
*Family
*Mystery
*Carrie's POV - 1st person
*Dual timeline
Format: ebook
Thank you NetGalley, Rosie Walsh, and Viking Penguin for the ARC.
December 9, 2025
After reading The Love of My Life in 2022, I knew this one would be at the top of my list. The One Day You Were My Husband is the perfect balance of romance, mystery and part thriller. The story opens taking you back to the past as you meet Carrie Cole on her wedding day in Thailand about to marry Joann Kullberg. Carrie is a surgical intern surviving long shifts when she meets Joann and they are swept into a whirlwind romance. They have only been together a few months when they impulsively decide to marry. After they are married and begin to celebrate, a group of armed men storm in and drag Joann away. Carrie is beside herself. He is taken to prison and Carrie is left with questions, but is forced to leave Joann and their past behind her. Fast forward twelve years later, Carrie has gotten her life back together. She has worked hard to put Joann and the questions that surround his incarceration behind her. She is now married to Robin, a philanthropy consultant, raising twin girls on the English Moors. After a difficult difficult premature birth she took a step back from surgery. Robin is out of work, so she has decided to return to surgery and needs to travel to Stockholm where her former mentor has offered her a spot. Carrie and Robin have a rental property and as she is on the Roof website one night she stumbles across a listing only to discover Joann is out of prison and living in Stockholm. Of course she deep dives head first into Joann and his early release and what has taken place in his life since. Carrie needs answers and as the truth slowly comes out, nothing in the past or present is what she thought.
I highly recommend this book as it has a little something for everyone. Rosie Walsh is an instant read for me and I look forward to her next novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Pub Date: May 19, 2026 - Add this to your list.
I highly recommend this book as it has a little something for everyone. Rosie Walsh is an instant read for me and I look forward to her next novel. Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Pub Date: May 19, 2026 - Add this to your list.
November 29, 2025
ARC Review.
Wow. Wowowow. If you’re reading this, add this book to your TBR immediately. I thought the book sounded great from the description, but having never read this author before I wasn’t sure how good it would truly be. While I will say the first part of the book dragged a bit for me (I was wondering when we’d get into what actually happened and out of the backstory) once we got into it I couldn’t put it down. This book felt like the best of both worlds to me - it had a romance aspect that I loved, that give you butterflies feeling some books can accomplish, but it also had the mystery/thriller storyline I was craving. And the best part - I literally NEVER saw the twist coming, ever. And I usually see them coming from a mile away. WOW this book was good and will live in my brain for quite some time.
Wow. Wowowow. If you’re reading this, add this book to your TBR immediately. I thought the book sounded great from the description, but having never read this author before I wasn’t sure how good it would truly be. While I will say the first part of the book dragged a bit for me (I was wondering when we’d get into what actually happened and out of the backstory) once we got into it I couldn’t put it down. This book felt like the best of both worlds to me - it had a romance aspect that I loved, that give you butterflies feeling some books can accomplish, but it also had the mystery/thriller storyline I was craving. And the best part - I literally NEVER saw the twist coming, ever. And I usually see them coming from a mile away. WOW this book was good and will live in my brain for quite some time.
November 27, 2025
Thank you, #Partner @pameladormanbooks @vikingbooks and @netgalley for my #gifted (free) copy. Pub date 5/19/26.
Mixed genres are my absolute favorite, and this one had a mix of thriller, mystery, family drama, romance, medical, and suspense. It was perfect in every single way, and I couldn't put it down. I had no idea how this was going to end, and I was shocked! Definitely pre-order and add this one to your wishlist because it's going to be a hit next May!
2010: Carrie, a surgical intern, and Johan marry after knowing each other for five months in Thailand. As soon as they have their first dance, armed men arrest Johan, and Carrie is in complete shock. She sees him one last time at the jail and he tells her to move on, giving her no explanations or answers. She was told he would be in jail for 25 years.
2022: Carrie has moved on with her life and is happily married with two children. She took a break from work, but now she is ready to jump back into being a surgeon. When her mentor, Yanika, invites her to a conference out of town, Carrie starts looking on the Roof app to find a house to rent. As she is looking at a certain house, she notices the host's name is Johan, and he looks exactly like her old Johan. It can't be. He should still be in jail, right? 4.5 stars!
Mixed genres are my absolute favorite, and this one had a mix of thriller, mystery, family drama, romance, medical, and suspense. It was perfect in every single way, and I couldn't put it down. I had no idea how this was going to end, and I was shocked! Definitely pre-order and add this one to your wishlist because it's going to be a hit next May!
2010: Carrie, a surgical intern, and Johan marry after knowing each other for five months in Thailand. As soon as they have their first dance, armed men arrest Johan, and Carrie is in complete shock. She sees him one last time at the jail and he tells her to move on, giving her no explanations or answers. She was told he would be in jail for 25 years.
2022: Carrie has moved on with her life and is happily married with two children. She took a break from work, but now she is ready to jump back into being a surgeon. When her mentor, Yanika, invites her to a conference out of town, Carrie starts looking on the Roof app to find a house to rent. As she is looking at a certain house, she notices the host's name is Johan, and he looks exactly like her old Johan. It can't be. He should still be in jail, right? 4.5 stars!
December 8, 2025
Five stars!
Thank you so much to #NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the advanced copy of this book. This Publishes May 2026!
What to expect in this book:
-Dual timelines
-Romantic suspense
-Genre-bending
-Perfect for book clubs!
Thoughts
I have not read a book this good in a LONG time! It is December and I have not had a five star read since AUGUST! This one was the perfect blend of THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave and ONE TRUE LOVES by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I love a book that bends genres and this is the perfect one.
Carrie Cole is a surgical intern working long hours and not expecting to fall in love when Johann Kullberg enters her hospital and the two begin a whirlwind romance. Months later they marry on the beach in Thailand. However, as the couple are celebrating, a group of armed men take Johann away, never to be in Carrie's life again. Now twelve years later, Carrie is married to a devoted man, Robin, and the two live in the English Moors with their young children. One night as she stumbles across a post and finds that Johann has been living in Stockholm and has been out of prison for years. Carrie becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to Johann. As the truth begins to unravel, Carrie discovers that nothing is as she thought it was then and now.
I will not say much as to not give away this book, but I loved the twists throughout and how while I would not consider this to be a true mystery, but a romantic suspense, there was such tension, intrigue, and interest in this book. I cannot stop thinking about it and cannot wait to discuss with people. I loved Rosie Walsh's last book, The Love of My Life, and still think about it years later and believe this one will be the same. This was so well-written, interesting, and entertaining. I think there is a little bit of something for everyone in this. I highly recommend this to anyone!
Thank you so much to #NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the advanced copy of this book. This Publishes May 2026!
What to expect in this book:
-Dual timelines
-Romantic suspense
-Genre-bending
-Perfect for book clubs!
Thoughts
I have not read a book this good in a LONG time! It is December and I have not had a five star read since AUGUST! This one was the perfect blend of THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave and ONE TRUE LOVES by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I love a book that bends genres and this is the perfect one.
Carrie Cole is a surgical intern working long hours and not expecting to fall in love when Johann Kullberg enters her hospital and the two begin a whirlwind romance. Months later they marry on the beach in Thailand. However, as the couple are celebrating, a group of armed men take Johann away, never to be in Carrie's life again. Now twelve years later, Carrie is married to a devoted man, Robin, and the two live in the English Moors with their young children. One night as she stumbles across a post and finds that Johann has been living in Stockholm and has been out of prison for years. Carrie becomes obsessed with figuring out what happened to Johann. As the truth begins to unravel, Carrie discovers that nothing is as she thought it was then and now.
I will not say much as to not give away this book, but I loved the twists throughout and how while I would not consider this to be a true mystery, but a romantic suspense, there was such tension, intrigue, and interest in this book. I cannot stop thinking about it and cannot wait to discuss with people. I loved Rosie Walsh's last book, The Love of My Life, and still think about it years later and believe this one will be the same. This was so well-written, interesting, and entertaining. I think there is a little bit of something for everyone in this. I highly recommend this to anyone!
November 15, 2025
Amazing. Fabulous. I ate this UPPPPPPPPP.
This was SO good. I have no words. There’s mystery, romance, thriller. I was screaming every few pages and I didn’t know where it was going or who to trust. I will scream from the rooftops to read this book.
TheOneDayYouWereMyHusband #NetGalley #vikingbooks
This was SO good. I have no words. There’s mystery, romance, thriller. I was screaming every few pages and I didn’t know where it was going or who to trust. I will scream from the rooftops to read this book.
TheOneDayYouWereMyHusband #NetGalley #vikingbooks
December 6, 2025
Oh my! Review TK!
November 8, 2025
I was so excited to get an ARC of this book as I became a big fan of Rosie Walsh after reading Ghosted! This story was another suspenseful and compelling mystery with some love lost themes and interesting family relationships mixed in. A great escape! 8.25/10.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
November 28, 2025
This was my first Rosie book and I liked it. I cried A LOT!
It was sweet and sad and mysterious and heartbreaking and adorable and I really enjoyed reading it. I just wished that the first 75% would've been a bit shorter - I wanted more of the last 25%! But I liked it all.
I'm glad I'm not a doctor in England - all those things you have to do to become one and then stop being one and then starting to work again? Jeez! I didn't understand anything when she said all those British doctor things! LOL. There might've been a tiny bit much of that for a non-British, non-Doctor reader.
Oh, and I thought that maybe they should've been a few years younger in the beginning? 27 and 30 seemed a bit old for things.
But the story was really interesting, plottwisty and beautiful ... and I enjoyed it.
November 24, 2025
I think it’s near impossible for Walsh to get better than when she wrote Ghosted - which I finished in nearly one sitting - but The One Day You Were My Husband did end up surprising me with its twists and turns. Nothing was quite what it seemed!
Carrie and Johan’s whirlwind romance is one that makes you believe in soulmates. Carrie is very much immersed in her surgical world and Johan makes her step out of it which of course makes her realise how afraid she is of environments she has no control over. Their love is wild, overwhelming, and quite cheeky - the sexual tension between them and the way they unashamedly yearn for each other was rather refreshing.
I enjoyed how all of the characters were so multifaceted, had their own underlying trauma and issues that caused them to act the way they did. I went from disliking certain characters to admiring them, as layers were peeled off and secrets revealed. And with some it went the opposite way. Just wait until you get to 86% - however many pages that is - I genuinely gasped 🤭
Although this one was a bit slow going the first 15% or so, hence the 4.5 instead of 5, I really can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this and read it! A thrilling story of lost love, betrayal, and struggles of finding the balance between motherhood and one’s own dreams whilst fighting the urge to know what actually happened that one day everything changed.
Carrie and Johan’s whirlwind romance is one that makes you believe in soulmates. Carrie is very much immersed in her surgical world and Johan makes her step out of it which of course makes her realise how afraid she is of environments she has no control over. Their love is wild, overwhelming, and quite cheeky - the sexual tension between them and the way they unashamedly yearn for each other was rather refreshing.
I enjoyed how all of the characters were so multifaceted, had their own underlying trauma and issues that caused them to act the way they did. I went from disliking certain characters to admiring them, as layers were peeled off and secrets revealed. And with some it went the opposite way. Just wait until you get to 86% - however many pages that is - I genuinely gasped 🤭
Although this one was a bit slow going the first 15% or so, hence the 4.5 instead of 5, I really can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this and read it! A thrilling story of lost love, betrayal, and struggles of finding the balance between motherhood and one’s own dreams whilst fighting the urge to know what actually happened that one day everything changed.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to NetGalley, Pan MacMillan, and Penguin Random House for the advance copy.
Rosie Walsh has done it again. She always knows how to weave a smart, layered mystery—you never quite know how things are going to unfold. This one had me fully hooked, and I literally made a noise when the twist hit because I did not see it coming. It also has just the right touch of romantic tension and relationship depth. I love her writing, and the locations/settings she creates always pull me in. Another compelling, twisty read from Walsh!
Favorite quote:
"But is it really care when we are protected
from the consequences of our own mistakes? When we are rescued the moment things get tough? I think that can only ever be control."
--Rosie Walsh
Rosie Walsh has done it again. She always knows how to weave a smart, layered mystery—you never quite know how things are going to unfold. This one had me fully hooked, and I literally made a noise when the twist hit because I did not see it coming. It also has just the right touch of romantic tension and relationship depth. I love her writing, and the locations/settings she creates always pull me in. Another compelling, twisty read from Walsh!
Favorite quote:
"But is it really care when we are protected
from the consequences of our own mistakes? When we are rescued the moment things get tough? I think that can only ever be control."
--Rosie Walsh
December 27, 2025
I loved The One Day You Were My Husband! This is Rosie Walsh’s best work to date. The book started off a bit slow, but it quickly picked up and I later realized all the background in the beginning was important.
This book was devastating and pulled at my heartstrings numerous times. A beautiful story featuring a mature, older FMC navigating the unthinkable. Carrie was a great main character and I appreciated that she didn’t make illogical/frustrating decisions like in some other books I’ve read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
This book was devastating and pulled at my heartstrings numerous times. A beautiful story featuring a mature, older FMC navigating the unthinkable. Carrie was a great main character and I appreciated that she didn’t make illogical/frustrating decisions like in some other books I’ve read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.
November 27, 2025
This is one my top reads for 2025. I received an ARC from Edelweiss+. This book is mind-blowing in a good way. It's part love story, part suspense story as well as a bit of a slow burn thriller. It's almost impossible to describe fully, but it's excellent, emotional and very well-written. Highly recommended!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I'm gonna need a quick lie down after this one. Because I don’t read descriptions, I had no idea what to expect. This really is a story about quiet and heavy betrayal, conditional versus unconditional love, and how hard it is to pull yourself back together after being put through the wringer. As frustrated as I felt at times, I couldn’t put it down.
December 1, 2025
Ugh, so good. Why did it end? 😭
December 31, 2025
This had the potential to be great but there was just too much going on.
December 2, 2025
Carrie and Johan were married for less than a day when Johan was arrested and imprisoned in Thailand. 12 years old, Carrie has remarried and has children. She discovers Johan has been released but also finds there were lots of secrets as to why he was taken from her all those years before. It's a story full of twists and turns and I liked the change in direction that the storyline took. It was a little too slow for my liking though and would have liked the unravelling of Johan's storyline to have started a bit earlier. However I did like the ending and thought it tied up all the loose ends nicely.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to the author Rosie Walsh, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I’m genuinely grateful to have experienced such an emotionally powerful and beautifully written story ahead of publication. It was a compelling and memorable read, and I appreciate being trusted with an early review.
The One Day You Were My Husband is one of those rare novels that grips your heart from the first page and doesn’t let go. It’s bittersweet, haunting, and devastatingly human, a story about love, betrayal, identity, and the kind of unresolved past that refuses to stay buried.
The novel follows Carrie, once a brilliant, ambitious surgeon whose life was derailed by a whirlwind romance with Johan, a charming Swedish diver she meets by chance. Their five-month relationship burns fast and bright, culminating in a quiet wedding on a remote Thai beach, only for Johan to be arrested moments later on drug-smuggling charges and sentenced to twenty-five years in a notorious Thai prison. Carrie is left shattered, heartbroken, and without answers.
Years later, now married to dependable, loving Robin and raising seven-year-old twins, Carrie has carefully rebuilt her life or at least convinced herself she has. But when a chance online search reveals that Johan has been pardoned, freed, and is quietly living in Sweden, married to Carrie, Carrie’s world tilts again. The questions she buried resurface. The scars she thought had healed begin to tear open. And her search for the truth sets off a chain of emotional shockwaves she can no longer outrun.
Rosie Walsh writes with extraordinary emotional depth. Carrie is flawed, fragile, stubborn, and utterly believable. Her relationships with her gentle father, fading into dementia, her distant yet complicated mother, and her fiery sister Maya feel textured and real. The novel captures the sacrifices of motherhood, the ache of lost ambition, and the pull between who we were and who we’ve become. The medical and legal details are woven in beautifully, enriching the story without ever overwhelming it.
This isn’t just a love story; it’s a psychological thriller wrapped inside one. Every flashback reveals another layer, another lie, another devastating truth. The pacing is gripping, and the twist near the end is breathtaking, the kind of reveal that makes you gasp in public and reread the page to process it. It’s raw, emotional, and utterly unforgettable.
At times heartbreaking, at times hopeful, this novel explores the danger of nostalgia, the cost of truth, and what happens when the past finally catches up with the life you built in its shadow. It made me want to cry more than once, but it also left me deeply satisfied.
A compelling, emotionally charged blend of love story and psychological suspense. Truly exceptional and absolutely one to recommend.
The One Day You Were My Husband is one of those rare novels that grips your heart from the first page and doesn’t let go. It’s bittersweet, haunting, and devastatingly human, a story about love, betrayal, identity, and the kind of unresolved past that refuses to stay buried.
The novel follows Carrie, once a brilliant, ambitious surgeon whose life was derailed by a whirlwind romance with Johan, a charming Swedish diver she meets by chance. Their five-month relationship burns fast and bright, culminating in a quiet wedding on a remote Thai beach, only for Johan to be arrested moments later on drug-smuggling charges and sentenced to twenty-five years in a notorious Thai prison. Carrie is left shattered, heartbroken, and without answers.
Years later, now married to dependable, loving Robin and raising seven-year-old twins, Carrie has carefully rebuilt her life or at least convinced herself she has. But when a chance online search reveals that Johan has been pardoned, freed, and is quietly living in Sweden, married to Carrie, Carrie’s world tilts again. The questions she buried resurface. The scars she thought had healed begin to tear open. And her search for the truth sets off a chain of emotional shockwaves she can no longer outrun.
Rosie Walsh writes with extraordinary emotional depth. Carrie is flawed, fragile, stubborn, and utterly believable. Her relationships with her gentle father, fading into dementia, her distant yet complicated mother, and her fiery sister Maya feel textured and real. The novel captures the sacrifices of motherhood, the ache of lost ambition, and the pull between who we were and who we’ve become. The medical and legal details are woven in beautifully, enriching the story without ever overwhelming it.
This isn’t just a love story; it’s a psychological thriller wrapped inside one. Every flashback reveals another layer, another lie, another devastating truth. The pacing is gripping, and the twist near the end is breathtaking, the kind of reveal that makes you gasp in public and reread the page to process it. It’s raw, emotional, and utterly unforgettable.
At times heartbreaking, at times hopeful, this novel explores the danger of nostalgia, the cost of truth, and what happens when the past finally catches up with the life you built in its shadow. It made me want to cry more than once, but it also left me deeply satisfied.
A compelling, emotionally charged blend of love story and psychological suspense. Truly exceptional and absolutely one to recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 Stars
The One Day You Were My Husband was a engaging and atmospheric mix of romance, mystery, suspense, and women's fiction. This is now my favorite book by this author. If you enjoy One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid and/or Laura Dave's The Last Thing He Told Me, you should definitely read this book.
I loved the globetrotting setting of this book, for starters. It is partly set on the dark moody moors of Devon, partly set in multiple hospitals across the globe, and also partly in balmy Thailand and snow-blown Sweden. The way the author writes is atmospheric perfection, full stop. For those who appreciate atmospheric writing, Rosie Walsh does it right.
I loved the attention to detail the author gave about the main character's life as a surgeon. It felt well-researched and realistic and believable, and honestly, very interesting. I get tired about stories dealing with celebrities or other popular careers in novels, so this was refreshing.
I was honestly thinking about this book whenever I wasn't reading it. It really drew me in, and I wanted to keep reading and find out what happened. I'm an avid reader (100+ books a year) but most books don't keep me up late reading like this one did.
The attraction between the main characters is palpable, and I found myself really feeling the emotions and turmoil that the main character was dealing with. I think it was a realistic view of the way a person in her situation would react and be conflicted.
Why not 5 full stars? Although I appreciated the flaws of every character, I felt like a few choices were morally gray, affair-adjacent behavior. This is a turn off for me, and it made me feel bad for the side characters that were affected.
Content Warnings: Light to Moderate use of strong profanity (f--, etc.), sex is mentioned and implied in various places in the book but not described (vague fade to black).
Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Penguin, and Pamela Dorman Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My review is my own words and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.
The One Day You Were My Husband was a engaging and atmospheric mix of romance, mystery, suspense, and women's fiction. This is now my favorite book by this author. If you enjoy One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid and/or Laura Dave's The Last Thing He Told Me, you should definitely read this book.
I loved the globetrotting setting of this book, for starters. It is partly set on the dark moody moors of Devon, partly set in multiple hospitals across the globe, and also partly in balmy Thailand and snow-blown Sweden. The way the author writes is atmospheric perfection, full stop. For those who appreciate atmospheric writing, Rosie Walsh does it right.
I loved the attention to detail the author gave about the main character's life as a surgeon. It felt well-researched and realistic and believable, and honestly, very interesting. I get tired about stories dealing with celebrities or other popular careers in novels, so this was refreshing.
I was honestly thinking about this book whenever I wasn't reading it. It really drew me in, and I wanted to keep reading and find out what happened. I'm an avid reader (100+ books a year) but most books don't keep me up late reading like this one did.
The attraction between the main characters is palpable, and I found myself really feeling the emotions and turmoil that the main character was dealing with. I think it was a realistic view of the way a person in her situation would react and be conflicted.
Why not 5 full stars? Although I appreciated the flaws of every character, I felt like a few choices were morally gray, affair-adjacent behavior. This is a turn off for me, and it made me feel bad for the side characters that were affected.
Content Warnings: Light to Moderate use of strong profanity (f--, etc.), sex is mentioned and implied in various places in the book but not described (vague fade to black).
Thank you to NetGalley, Viking Penguin, and Pamela Dorman Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. My review is my own words and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.
November 30, 2025
This is an absorbing, twisty, unique read. I'm not sure exactly what I expected, but this was one wild ride!
What worked for me: The characters were all extremely believable. Carrie, in particular, was a solid main character and I was rooting for her to figure out how to get back to herself. The flashbacks between the past and the present were effective plot devices, and although I won't give anything away the twist had me speed-reading the last 15% of the book. The chemistry between Carrie and Johan was particularly good; I felt like there was enough of a spark there to make the whole thing work. (Because if he'd been a jerk, it would have been easy to write the past off-but he wasn't, which made the 'what might have been' a very real tension.)
I give it 4.5 stars because in the end, there were SO many coincidences. Again, I won't say anything to not give away the plot but my goodness, the secrets! It works, though, and the characters have enough depth that it all works.
Ending: Absolutely perfect.
Overall, this is a solid thriller and I think it is releasing at the perfect time next year when we're looking for pool bag books. This is a great beach read and I think it will be very buzzy come spring. I also think it would make a great mini-series, so someone should scoop up the rights for this!
I would hand this book to any reader who likes psychological thrillers. I would also recommend this to someone who enjoyed What Could Be Saved by Liese O'Halloran Schwarz. That book for some reason has stuck with me since I read it and this book hit some of the same notes (a character having to piece together a new life after a traumatic event overseas).
Excellent read and a BIG thank you to the publisher for giving me an ARC of this one!
What worked for me: The characters were all extremely believable. Carrie, in particular, was a solid main character and I was rooting for her to figure out how to get back to herself. The flashbacks between the past and the present were effective plot devices, and although I won't give anything away the twist had me speed-reading the last 15% of the book. The chemistry between Carrie and Johan was particularly good; I felt like there was enough of a spark there to make the whole thing work. (Because if he'd been a jerk, it would have been easy to write the past off-but he wasn't, which made the 'what might have been' a very real tension.)
I give it 4.5 stars because in the end, there were SO many coincidences. Again, I won't say anything to not give away the plot but my goodness, the secrets! It works, though, and the characters have enough depth that it all works.
Ending: Absolutely perfect.
Overall, this is a solid thriller and I think it is releasing at the perfect time next year when we're looking for pool bag books. This is a great beach read and I think it will be very buzzy come spring. I also think it would make a great mini-series, so someone should scoop up the rights for this!
I would hand this book to any reader who likes psychological thrillers. I would also recommend this to someone who enjoyed What Could Be Saved by Liese O'Halloran Schwarz. That book for some reason has stuck with me since I read it and this book hit some of the same notes (a character having to piece together a new life after a traumatic event overseas).
Excellent read and a BIG thank you to the publisher for giving me an ARC of this one!
November 20, 2025
I feel like this book reminded me of Taylor Swift's, "Cardigan" with all of its yearning and "I knew you'd haunt all of my what ifs" and " I knew everything when I was young" .
The story revolves around Carrie Cole who has just started training as a surgeon when she meets Johan and it is instant attraction and all consuming for the two of them. They end up getting married in Thailand and within hours Johan is captured by the Thai police and dragged away without any explanations and Carrie is left questioning who she married. The entire story revolves around this event and Carrie's present day life when she finds out that Johan is no longer in prison and then the mystery unfolds of what actually happened that day.
I liked this book but I did not love it. I really enjoyed the present day timeline and felt underwhelmed with the detail of the backstory. The plot twists and turns felt a little far fetched. The main character is portrayed as very intelligent and ranks incredibly high on our tests for a surgeon but for someone whose life revolves around paying attention to details she is then also portrayed as getting duped by everyone around her, those two ideas felt very contradictory to me.
I would definitely recommend the book to someone who likes a drama with a little bit of mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The story revolves around Carrie Cole who has just started training as a surgeon when she meets Johan and it is instant attraction and all consuming for the two of them. They end up getting married in Thailand and within hours Johan is captured by the Thai police and dragged away without any explanations and Carrie is left questioning who she married. The entire story revolves around this event and Carrie's present day life when she finds out that Johan is no longer in prison and then the mystery unfolds of what actually happened that day.
I liked this book but I did not love it. I really enjoyed the present day timeline and felt underwhelmed with the detail of the backstory. The plot twists and turns felt a little far fetched. The main character is portrayed as very intelligent and ranks incredibly high on our tests for a surgeon but for someone whose life revolves around paying attention to details she is then also portrayed as getting duped by everyone around her, those two ideas felt very contradictory to me.
I would definitely recommend the book to someone who likes a drama with a little bit of mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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